Underwater
by Lady Bec of Imagineland
Summary: Tina wasn't sure how she was supposed to hide two mermen from poachers but it seemed more like they were taking care of her. Francis didn't know how he ended up with a mermaid in his basement, and Lucas just wanted to be left alone but it doesn't look like that would happen anytime soon. Fem Finland/Sweden Fem England/France Fem Denmark/Norway
1. Chapter 1

Lady Bec

Underwater

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia

Chapter 1 Tina's POV

Tina Väinämöinen had loved helping animals for as long as she could remember. When she was a child it was not uncommon for her to come home carrying birds with broken wings or rabbits who had been injured in one way or another. He parents were kind hearted individuals themselves, who made a point of helping her where they could by finding books to help her care for the found creatures; always encouraging her to learn more. At the early age of 24 she had become a veterinarian who had quickly made a name for herself as being quick but friendly. Within a year, at the age of 25, she had been offered a place in the VAAA, veterinarians against animal abuse. They were a non-extremist group who worked to guarantee humane slaughter for animals used for food, preserving wildlife habitats, and protecting endangered species. They often documented behaviors of endangered species, working up close and personal to gather the much needed information that journalist or other researchers may miss observing creatures in their native habitats, without having to capture them for observation.

It was a job Tina could have only dreamed of having. To top off the perfect job, her first assignment: Mermaids. The strange creatures that everyone had considered mythical for so long, were real; as the VAAA pushed for more monitoring of what was dumped in rivers, seas, and the oceans they started appearing. The first official sighting was nearly ten years ago, despite the occasional blurry pictures and children claiming to have seen the little mermaid in real life, which where brushed off as photo-shopping or children's imagination. However, last year all speculations were dragged out of the water, literally. A fisherman had been pulling up his netting to find a half woman half fish trapped. Hungry for money, the man had instantly taken her to the news where television reporters lapped up the story. Local authorities, being completely confused, took too long to put move her to a safe location and the first confirmed mermaid in modern history had been killed by a trigger happy moron.

The VAAA and several of their collaborates quickly demanded that the mermaids be listed as an endangered and protected species, until more could be learned about them. After all, in the old fairy tales they were often able to speak to humans, so who knew how intelligent they were. However, poachers had also acted quickly, trying to catch the rare creatures to sell as exotic pets to be kept in large tanks. Thankfully, it seemed that the poachers had just as hard a time finding the creatures and those trying to observe them.

Enter Tina. At 5' 2", always cheerful and kind, her friends often joked that she could get woodland creatures to clean her home for her. Adding to that her proudly displayed title of veterinarian and now member of VAAA she was the perfect choice. They gave her the coordinates from a sighting that they had received form a reliable source and enough supplies to hopefully monitor and record a subject for as long as possible. From a safe distance of course. She was flown out to a scarcely populated island in the north sea, (and by scarcely populated that meant there was a light house and 2 times a year someone would come out to do maintenance) and set up shop in the small studio style house equipped with a generator and a fireplace. Thankfully, someone had stocked the shed well with firewood and the pantry and freezer well with food; so she was ready for a long stay through the rest of spring and summer.

Once her temporary home was put into order, Tina was off. Equipped with cameras with small microphones to the tiny cove that was hidden away on the island by the trees and bushes that had somehow taken root in the soil. The rock walls almost completely enclosing the area except for an opening into the sea barely big enough for a small fishing boat. She had been given a map with directions, but even then it took her nearly an hour to find the right place. Looking at the safe little harbor she understood why a reclusive creature like a mermaid would like it. She set to work setting up the cameras in the trees and trying not to leave too many signs of her presence on the island. Surprisingly, there was an apple tree leaning slightly over the water at one side of the small space and the early apple blossoms had just blown off, floating on the water and giving promise of fruit later on in the year. After the last camera was safely tucked away into hiding and everything was turned on, Tina trudged home and collapsed into bed happily.

It had been two weeks of waiting, watching the feeds coming in from the cameras, and exploring the island to see if maybe she set up her equipment at the wrong cove. Maybe there was another one she had missed, because there was no sign of the rare creatures Tina was supposed to be observing. At least she was able to keep busy taking water samples from the cove and recording the results. By the third week she was frustrated. As she waited for the ph test to finish and watched the monitors, she called her old childhood friend for some encouragement.

Lukas was a Marine Biologist who's father was one of the founders of the VAAA. Even though he was often unsure of how to deal with Tina's exuberant personality growing up, he often allowed himself to be dragged along. He would always let her vent and tried to be an understanding ear even if he had no idea what she was talking about.

"How long should I stay until it is decided that they aren't here though, Lukas? I mean it feels like I've been here for months," Tina groaned, wrinkling her nose slightly as she heard the tail tell sniff that signaled that her "friend" was laughing at her misery.

"Sometimes these things take time; if your patient I'm sure you'll see one, or at least you may find something one has left. That island may be a resting spot, or a Mer may just stay there some part of the year." Was his calm and logical answer, and he outright chuckled as she grumbled about his response. Suddenly, the sound of children's laughter could be heard.

"Lukas, are you near a park or something?" Tina asked as she twirled on her rolling chair.

"No, that is coming from your end, Tina…" Lukas was still talking but Tina couldn't hear him at all. On the screen was the live feed from the cove, where a child Mer[AG1] was playing happily in the water, the microphone picking up his laughter. Off to the side of the cove a merman was beached under the apple tree, watching the youngster steadily. Gosh, if he was human he would have been a giant. A father and his son perhaps?

"What's happening, Tina?" Lukas's voice cut through her shock, jolting her back to reality and she scrambled to start taking notes.

"It is a mer-child and I think his father? Lukas, it is amazing, I wish you were here to watch this with me!" Tina squealed shamelessly as she watched the child play. They closed the phone call and she excitedly jotted down notes, watching the happy mer-child splash around. His "father" kept a careful eye on their surroundings, alert for any dangers that may appear. Even watching through the cameras Tina couldn't help but be a little scared.

The two mer stayed in the cove for about two hours and the giant merman played carefully with the younger for part of the time, once he was dragged further into the waters. Then, as the sun started to set, the larger mer gently coxed the younger out of the cove. Tina quickly sent a copy of the video and her current notes to VAAA for further investigation.

There was a week after the appearance of the two with no sign of the mermen, but Tina wouldn't be discouraged now. She had hope that they would come back and happily went through the different tests she did every day. One day, nearly a week and a half after the first sighting, Tina was down in the cove. Having gathered the water needed for various tests, she was laying in the soft sand near the grass, waiting for one test that could be done in the vial on the go to finish. Suddenly, she heard a soft splashing noise. There in the cove she could see a mop of blonde hair and piercing blue eyes watching her from in the water.

"Oh umm, hi there." Tina said, awkwardly looking at the merman.

It was the adult merman and he seemed even more intimidating up close! He could drag her underwater and kill her easily. Oh No. No one will ever know what happed to her! They would never find her body! Another soft splash brought her back to reality and she was surprised and freaked out when she realized he had moved closer to her, now almost on the beach himself.

The two froze, looking at each other cautiously, and Tina felt an unreasonable giggle bubble up. This was crazy; a merman was sitting close enough for her to reach out and touch. At the sound of her giggle his previously serious expression broke, changing to one of confused amusement. However, before anything could happen or Tina could gather herself together enough to try to communicate, the child's laughter broke the silence. An unruly mop of sandy hair popped up next to them. With a smile the young mer held out a pretty shell, offering it to her.

Tina quickly looked back to the "father" who was watching the interaction closely, but still looked amused by the turn of events.

"Thank you," Tina said smiling at the child. She was rewarded by him looking embarrassed, blushing slightly and quickly slipped back into the safety of the water. Tina turned, building up courage to say something to the seemingly giant creature next to her. (Really, had he been a human he probably would have been six foot something.) Opening her mouth to remark about the present, the sound of boat motors made her freeze.

"Poachers," The word fell from Tina's lips almost as a curse; before anything else could be said the older mer had also slipped back into the waves. She could see him grabbing the youngling but he paused looking over to the beach where she had finally stood up. Unsure what was holding them up from evacuating the cove to wherever they normally live, Tina spoke up. "I'll be fine, go!" Somehow the sentence was said with much more conviction than she felt. It seemed to be what he wanted, because with one more firm, nearly terrifying look the two sunk deeper into the water and disappeared.

Quickly, Tina gathered up all evidence that she had been there that morning and raced to her small house; quickly locking the door behind her and checking the monitors to see the poachers unloading on the eastern shore. Thankfully, they were on the other side of the tiny island from the cove.

What should she do, though?

An: So I wasn't going to post this to be honest, and there are a ton of Hetalia Merman/mermaid stories out here so I just want to be clear I don't mean to step on anyone's toes and any similarities are accidental.

The next chapter is introducing Francis and Alice so I hope you guys enjoy and tell me what you think. Any suggestions are much appreciated and loved and taken into consideration so please review or pm me with ideas!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Francis' POV

Growing up, Francis never wanted for anything. He had grown up running through his family's vineyards in Bordeaux. As he grew he learned how to harvest the grapes when they were perfectly ripe, with the amount of sugar that was needed for the wine to turn out just right. He had learned how to adjust the temperature for the fermentation to go as planned. He had learned the science of when to press the grapes, how to mix the free-run juice with the pressed juice to enhance his wine, and how to test to ensure that the wine had aged before it was bottled and sold. His family was known for having amazingly good wine with beautiful color, a rich bouquet, and a body that even someone who hates wine would love. When his parents passed on, leaving him to run everything on his own at a young age, it was difficult; but he managed to take everything in stride and there was hardly a laps in profit.

Even growing up with money and being considered a bit of a playboy he had never been one to engage in illegal actives, which was an achievement for a 23 year old millionaire. So how did he end up here?

The "fish tank" looked like something that belonged in an aquarium, but instead it was in his basement; dug into the ground like a swimming pool but with a viewing area to see through the glass sides. The tank was lined with live coral and ocean plants. On one side of the room there is a fenced in area with a beach made with soft white sand and pebbled with various plants, complete with sun lights so the occupant could sun herself if she so chooses.

What on earth was he thinking, buying a mermaid? They were a protected species, and if that didn't make him feel bad enough, the more time he spent down in what he had started to dub her "lair" the more human like he found the strange creature to be. He had never truly heard her speak, but he would swear that as he left yesterday she called him something very rude, and very British. Of coarse he would end up with the equivalent of an Englishwoman of the mer-world.

Leaning back against the wall, he looked in at the mermaid who was lounging on the beach looking painfully melancholy. She was as bad as a human woman, making him feel guilty constantly; she probably knew exactly how miserable she was making him feel. The moment they brought her in the guilt had started; apparently the way the poachers had caught her had caused her caudal fin to be torn. They had reassured him that it would heal quickly, and tried to make it seem like a positive since it meant she would be more docile for a month or so until it healed so she could be accustomed to her surroundings. Francis thought it caused her too much pain to be considered a good thing.

Then there was her wardrobe; when she was first brought out in the tiny glass tank the poacher in charge threw a fit when he saw she had somehow stolen a shirt to wear. The enraged man, when dumping her unceremoniously into the "fish tank", had grabbed the sleeve and ripped it off. The startled scream that followed had been the first thing he had heard from the mermaid, and it had instantly made him start regretting his decision, but he couldn't bring himself to send her back with the purple faced man. Instead, he found himself kicking the criminals out of his home and hesitantly bringing her one of his button-down shirts as a hesitant peace offering. She had thrown a rock at his face in response.

One exhausting week later, but at least she didn't throw things at him whenever she saw him, and in exchange he made sure to bring her several of his shirts and had gotten some elastic bands and ribbons to tie her hair back with. Looking at her from his spot by the wall he could appreciate the fact that she was beautiful. It was obvious; long sandy blonde hair and bright green eyes with near porcelain skin. He didn't know what to do with her though. He couldn't just release her into the ocean, with her fin injured he was worried that she would end up killed by some kind of shark or just captured again. At the same time, she didn't belong locked up in a glorified fish bowl. The entire problem would have to wait until she was better, whether or not he liked it.

Glancing down at his watch it showed it was nearly dinner time, quickly he went to where the live fish were kept. He grabbed a bucket full of water and the aquatic creatures before carefully releasing them into the large tank.

"Voici dîner, mon petit poisson," He called. However, the only response he received was a glare that made him feel like she was trying to melt his brain. He was about to turn away and simply go inside when he remembered her English curses form the night before, it wouldn't hurt to try. "You should eat something, little one, or you will not heal." The response to this was a surprised look, she actually sat up slightly to look at him before looking causally into the water.

He waited until she glided back into the water before he started towards the door, only to be nearly knocked off his feet by the impact of something very solid against the side of his head. Stumbling, he looked around only to see at his feet a fish flopping around. He looked up at the tank just in time to dodge the next one that was already sailing through the air. The obvious culprit glaring at him from the side of the tank her eyes practically glowing as she lifted another one of the fish slowly, about to use it as a weapon.

"That is not how you eat," Francis ground out, trying to speak the foreign language to the fiery tempered sea creature as clearly as possible. He saw her hesitate for all of half a second before she pitched the flopping fish at him at an alarming speed. After dodging the projectile, he took a step closer to the tank as she propped herself up and leaned forward towards the fight

"You…" He stared only to be cut off.

"I am not eating any more fish, you wine loving freak!" She snarled, looking positively livid, leaving him blinking at her in surprise.

"You can talk." He had known she could, but still it surprised him.

"What do you think I did, you moron, click at others like some kind of dolphin?" Was her exasperated response that left him feeling even more foolish.

"I was going to have chicken tartiflette, would you like some of that?" He asked, wisely choosing to ignore her question.

"Is there any kind of fish in it?" She asked looking less irate and more curious.

"No," Was his instant reply, not wanting to give her a reason to get worked up again.

"I guess I can give it a try," She said, sliding so she was back mostly in the water.

Before the argument could start up again he raced off to the kitchen, pulling the food from the oven and grabbing bread, butter, and a table cloth. He didn't realize what he was doing until he had the gate open and he was walking towards the mermaid sitting on the sand.

"You aren't planning on dragging me in the water and drowning me are you?" He couldn't help but ask as he laid the tablecloth on the ground and set the food out, only then noticing he hadn't brought plates, only forks.

"That depends," The feisty blonde head said as she grabbed a fork and stabbed it in the corner of the dish, scooping out a large forkful. "If you are tricking me and this has fish in it I just might," She elaborated with a smirk as she started to eat.

Here is dinner my little fish= Voici dîner, mon petit poisson

AN: So here is chapter 2 what do you think of Francis and Alice? They are my favorite couple to write ever. Don't worry we will be getting back to Tina and Berwald, however the next chapter is going to be introducing Lukas and female Denmark whom I don't have a name for, so if you have a name suggestion please include it in your review! Please review and tell me what you think and Thank you Tina Vainamoinen, Rin Kagamine, NekoRyuuKo, and MageOfFandoms for reviewing on chapter one!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Lukas' POV

Lukas didn't normally sneak into secured buildings with large fences and attack dogs. He wasn't a stranger to dangerous situations by any means, but normally it was along the lines of his shark cage being broken open when he was surrounded by a shiver of sharks or an octopus trying to take off his snorkel. Getting into fist fights wasn't too unusual either; he may have a calm collected appearance but he got into fights with enough meat-headed morons to know how to hold his own. With all that said, he was not a ninja trained in sneaking past armed guards into a highly defended research center. The company tried to make a front of caring for the environment and donating money to endangered species but he had recently heard that animal testing was being conducted at this facility. They were even testing on the endangered species they had supposedly been trying to protect. One of the most alarming reports was that a mermaid would be received tonight.

The Police couldn't do anything without proof, and his father and the other older members of VAAA wouldn't act against the law. His father gently reminding him that if he broke the law he wasn't any better than the true villains, and that if they played by the rule book then nothing could ever come back to bite them.

That thinking was all well and good until a mermaid was on the line! They were the newest species that fell into their own class to be discovered. So he had driven with an old buddy, a truck with its license plates removed, and a tub of water in the back to keep the rescued mer from drying out to the back gate.

"You never ask me to do things like this, Lukas. This is exciting, like when we were in college, Da?" Ivan asked, smiling widely over at him from the passenger seat, looking too excited about the fact that they were breaking the law. Normally in the past it had been Ivan dragging Lukas into fights, but this was all his doing!

"Don't get used to me starting things, Ivan. You know the plan right?" He asked, nervous as he looked over towards his friend who laughed slightly before lifting up a flask of vodka in one hand and some sort of piping in the other. It was probably best not to ask, and with a silent acceptance, Lukas pulled off the road into the forest. With a happy smile and a wave of the piping Ivan left to create a distraction. After waiting for about five minutes, Lukas followed his friend. As he slipped past the front gate he felt a ghost of a smile slide into place as he caught sight of his friend yelling in some crazy Russian dialect swinging around the pipe and drinking from the flask. The last he saw of his friend before he went around the back was him leaning forward to offer one of the guards the flask.

Getting threw the side gate was embarrassingly easy, and with a skiing mask and gloves even when they looked over their footage and checked for fingerprints there would be nothing to come back on him. He could see the crowd of guards gathering around the front, laughing with each other at the "drunk". It made it easy to slip into the first building on the right, where they supposedly kept the test subjects.

All along the walls were cages filled with animals from the normal species you would expect to see in a place like this, like rats and rabbits, to endangered animals/species like a panda that was crying in misery. The only thing stopping him from breaking out all the animals was the fact that he was on a mission. Along the back wall there was a tank that was obviously too small for its occupant attached to a set of wheels. Inside looking sickly and crestfallen was a mermaid. The tank was only filled halfway with water and she slouched into it, leaning against the back of the tank. Her long hair was dull and in tangles, and the rag that she was using as a top was almost completely in shreds.

As he approached the container, looking over the despairing mer, he was distracted enough that he didn't notice the cords on the floor until he was tripping over them, causing him to grab the corner of an empty cage next to the tank. The movement alerted the mermaid of his presence and instantly a pair of vibrant blue eyes flew to look at him. She moved as if to get further away from him but the tiny enclosure didn't give her any space to escape.

"It's ok, I know the mask it alarming but I'm gonna get you out of here," Lukas said, trying to sound comforting. Normally he was only kind to his kid brother and Tina, so he wasn't sure it came across right. She didn't look comforted, in fact he wasn't sure if she understood him since she was still pressing herself against the glass.

He would check her over after they were out of here. Quickly he unlocked all of the wheels and started pushing the entire tank out of the building. The reaction from the mer changed quickly, going from an exhausted fear to curiosity. She moved to look at him more closely before looking around as he quickly pushed the tank down the walk towards the side gate, which was thankfully still unguarded. He could hear some kind of Russian folk song and laughter from the front gate.

Outside the compound, Lukas was moving quickly. Soon the twenty minutes agreed upon with Ivan would be up, he would be back at the truck and they would be gone. When he caught sight of the truck he let out a grateful sigh. They were almost clear from this building of misery and death.

Now my dear children, if I may interrupt the story I must explain something. Unfortunately, as everyone knows, you should never consider yourself clear of danger until the job is complete and you are safe back home in your own bed. The moment you think yourself safe from danger, something will go amiss. For Lukas, this was the front wheel catching on a rock, and the entire thing tipped over and shattered upon impact, sending the poor mermaid to the ground, landing on glass shards. Back to where we were.

"Are you alright?" Lukas scrambled to the fallen mermaid, taking off the mask so he could see better once he reached her. Unsurprisingly, she didn't respond but she stared up at him in surprise as he leaned forward checking her palms where they met the ground.

"Where are you taking me, not to another lab right?" The question caught him off guard. Having been holding her hand checking to make sure there was no glass caught in the cuts. He looked up, surprised by the sudden question. He was pinned by a set of eyes as blue as the North Sea. She looked like she was trying to be serious but not sure how to do so, causing her to look only slightly serious but mostly confused and frightened.

"No, I'm not taking you to another lab," Lukas started, about to explain he was going to make sure she got home, when Ivan burst through the trees looking at the two of them in wide eyed confusion. Before either male could say or do anything they were surprised by a sudden shimmering surrounding the Mermaid. Then, as quickly as it came, it passed. However, the startling difference was there was a human girl sitting where the mermaid had been, completely unclothed.

"If you're not taking me to another scary place let's go!" Was the chipper comment as the young woman attempted to stand, wobbling on unsteady feet and holding on to the truck. Ivan and Lukas looked at each other, unsure how to handle the new development and wondering if they had managed to forget taking some powerful drugs before taking off on their adventure. Slowly, Lukas shook his head before taking off his jacket and wrapping it around the girl.

"You should tell us how you did that, Da?" Ivan said sounding unsure as he helped her into the passenger seat, looking completely freaked out.

"It's like frogs! One moment they are swimming around and then they are able to live on land!" Was the cheerful explanation that explained nothing at all. Lukas chose not to push for a clearer explanation now, even though the change from tadpoles to frogs took weeks not seconds and there was no true explanation on how she got her legs. Ivan, however, laughed at her cheery declaration and buckled her up as they peeled away.

AN: Hello everyone! Here is chapter 3 and now all of the planned on main characters have been introduced. Poor Lukas doesn't know what he is getting into! It was so fun to add in Ivan, he wasn't even supposed to be in this story but then I couldn't resist. Also I hadn't decided for sure of Fem Den's name which is why she doesn't introduce herself yet I have got it narrowed down from the reviews and PM's I received though to Mathilde, Astrid, or Jenz. So if you would like to vote for one of these three names feel free to say so in your review.

Finally thank you so much Rin Kagamine, Ninilia, FireFox Vixen, MageOfFandoms, wixpage1223, Liz, Guest. Also thank you to those who PM'ed me; I'm guessing since it was a PM you wanted it to remain private so I won't put your name here but know I appreciate you.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Tina's POV

As it turned out, there wasn't much for Tina to do. Once in the safety of her temporary home she contacted the VAAA and requested they send some kind of back up or the authorities to come and hopefully remove the dangerous strangers from the island. However, before anyone could arrive the poachers had disappeared into thin air. Tina had been trying to stash everything important into hiding places and when she looked up at the monitors and they were all gone. It was almost as if they were a ghost from a child's nightmare, once your parents were alerted of the danger they vanished like smoke.

By the time law enforcement arrived there was almost no trace of the invading force. There were some scuffs on the beach to show they truly had shown up, but when and the island was searched however they all came back empty-handed. There were no camera's besides Tina's and nothing had been removed leaving a truly eerie feeling.

The most blood chilling part of it all was watching the recordings on the monitor; you could see the flurry of activity upon their arrival, then a figure wearing a deep hood walked up the beach, looking around before stopping at the camera. You got the impression they were staring directly into the lens, however, only the lips were visible because of the shadow the hood cast. With a cruel smirk the figure could be seen raising one hand with what looked like some sort of remote, and that was it. The recording seemed to have paused there, the dark figure smirking at her from the beach. When it resumed recording as normal about seven minutes later the beach was deserted.

Unfortunately, after the complete search and the report was written up the Danish coast guard had to leave. As they left Tina reported back to VAAA, explaining the brief invasion and then the disappearance; there was, unfortunately, little could be done. She had made contact with the two mermen so she couldn't be completely replaced, and adding another person could cause setbacks. The best course of action was to continue on and keep an eye out for any other possible trouble.

She considered going back to the cove to see if she could talk to the mers again as she sat down on the bed, but before she could gather the strength she felt herself falling asleep, leaning against the bed frame.

She found her way into the cove the next day, still worn out from the events of the day before. She sat heavily on the sand, almost in the water. Looking around she saw the shell the merchild had given her and happily collected it; as silly as it seemed, she felt like she should put it on display. The only times she had even caught a glimpse of the two had been in the cove, so she figured she would spend the day here and hopefully they would show themselves to ease her worry about them.

Thankfully, it didn't take long before she heard splashing. As she turned to look she was surprised to be tackled from the side. However, that wasn't the only surprise.

"Those jerks didn't get you! I'm so glad! I mean, Berwald said you would be okay, but then he said we could still check on you!" The merchild practically yelled into her ear still half on her. Tina, shocked by the sudden development, turned to look at him, unable to keep from smiling at the beaming child on top of her.

"Peter, you shouldn't jump on people," A deep voce mumbled off to the side and Tina turned to see the older merman come to the shore.

"It's okay, your son is just excited to see me I suppose," Tina said, hoping the giant wasn't upset.

"Not my son. Peter get off her," The giant, Berwald, mumbled; a slight flush coving his cheeks and a small smile touching his lips as he half picked up the merchild she could only assume was Peter

"Yeah, Berwald is only watching me till my brothers or my sister get me," Peter stated before going on about his siblings and older brothers who could crush whales. She was saved from having to keep track of all of this when Berwald started speaking.

"The poachers?" Short and mumbled again, maybe that was just how he spoke?

"They're gone for now, they landed but then they disappeared within fifteen minutes," Tina supplied helpfully.

"Good, I couldn't see their boats around the island at all anymore," Was the simple reply.

"… Then my sister will show her true evil intentions and take over the seas; but you don't need to worry because I'll take care of you," Peter finished, beaming at her. When Tina looked closely at him, however, he looked lost. Glancing out the corner of her eye she saw that Berwald had lost his smile, and an intense look had settled instead. Was Peter's sister really that terrible or was it something else?

Before she could ask more, however, Peter disappeared and reappeared with something from the bottom of the cove. Laughing she accepted it, peaking at Berwald who once again had a flicker of a smile. She could ask more later.

Unknown to the new friends, a camera hidden perfectly from sight had zoomed in to observe them

AN: Hey everyone. Sorry it took so long there are lots of excuses like being sick and then my computer not working, and then work and a million different things causing a short late update; but I am gonna do better! I haven't stopped writing this story and I will be finished! In fact part of this short break was used planning out the story line because I realized I didn't know who my villain was because when I first started typing this up it was gonna be a one shot.

Truly though everyone thank you for your continue support to everyone who favorite and follow. Also a special thanks to Rin Kagamine; mia730730, NekoRyuuKo, MageOfFandoms, and Guest for reviewing I truly love all of your feedback and it is really encouraging.

On to the next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Francis' POV

It was amazing what a dinner of chicken tartiflette could do for, what could hesitantly be called, a budding friendship. Talking with the strange mermaid was one of the oddest experience's in Francis's life thus far. Normally girls were easily swayed with smooth talk, and if not that then when he dropped the fact he was Francis Bonnefoy the wine making millionaire they would be charmed. However, Alice was not impressed with anything he said; he learned her name after he called her his "poisson" one too many times. She seemed to think that his flirting was hilarious, as if he was not the most eligible bachelor in France!

The two of them fell into an almost comfortable rhythm in only a couple of days, eating meals together and often talking about his day during dinner. She had been incredibly amused to learn he owned a vineyard and winery, scoffing about how it made perfect sense. In return he had to fight laughter when she asked for tea with her breakfast. Even with the knowledge that she was dangerous he couldn't help but feel comfortable around her. They bantered playfully, often throwing insults but she hadn't thrown anything literally since the fish, and Francis would never be able to truly throw anything at her.

After their dinner he would lounge on the beach with her as they soaked up the warmth from the artificial light and asked each other whimsical questions about each others lives. Simple things, like what kind of games do you play in the ocean? Or how do you know who wins when playing hop-scotch? Then, once he got back to his own bed, he would remember that she was dangerous and could very well kill him. He would swear to himself that the next day he would be more careful, and that he would spend less time in her lair, knowing that it was all a lie. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to care when he remembered the stories of mermaids bewitching sailors so that they would willingly throw themselves off the ships for them. He couldn't bring himself to worry when, after just three scant days of their chatting, he realized he may be willing to throw himself of a ship if it made her happy.

Every night he found himself leaving her lair with the soft expression of "bonne nuit, ma sirène"

Alice's POV

Alice felt unsure of how to handle the situation she found herself in. Which was not a normal feeling, she was normally the one who had a complet handle on any situation that was thrown at her. She was the one that planned the evacuations when the humans spilt the nasty black goop into the sea's and oceans. She was the one who made sure that Mer's who were displaced for any reason had a safe new home. She monitored to ensure food was distributed to those who needed it.

When their parents died she made sure to keep her older brothers in line, while making sure her younger brother didn't get caught in fishing nets. Their underwater kingdom from falling to bits. Technically, all of that should have been Alistair's job, and he could be very good at it if only he stayed in one place long enough. It made her worry now that she was gone, what was happening to her brothers? How were the people handling this new danger that had presented itself with the humans hunting them?

As princess she had been raised to take action and to bring aid to those who needed it; but here she was stuck in a gilded cage with a hurt fin. With that hurt fin there would be no growing legs and simply walking out of this place. She was stuck for at least another week with the strange man with his strange way of talking. Who had bought her and then locked her away so far from her family. Who made her food that tasted good and often brought warm drinks to her. Who would talk with her about silly things…

This was what was making everything so much worse! Francis. The name might as well be a curse. He was everything her brother Alistair warned her about, like a villain in one of Dylan's stories. The boogieman that Connor used to frighten her with. Like the old tails when mermaids tried to befriend sailors in the past. The human would gain their trust, get a maid to fall for them and give herself up, only to be betrayed and die. This was horrible, why had he started talking to her? It was much easier to hate him when he was just a man who dumped fish in the tank twice a day. Now with his quick wit and easy smile she felt herself fighting reason. Every night after his soft French comment that she only assumed was a good night she would remind herself how dangerous he was. If she wasn't careful this strange and charming human would be her end.

But as she settled down for the night and closed her eyes she would imagine his smiling eyes; how he would cheerfully be bringing her breakfast in just a few hours. Would it truly be such a horrible end?

AN: So; what do you guys think? Sorry it was kinda a downer chapter hopefully next chapter will be more light hearted with Lukas and Mathilde . Or I'll finally get a flash back chapter done but that will not be light hearted.

Thank you MageOfFandoms, katella only, Bratty, NekoRyuuKo, Rin Kagamine, mia730730 for reviewing and MageOfFandoms I hope this chapter cleared up some of your questions. I will let more about the mermaids as the chapters go on I promise.

Scotland aka Alistair

Wales aka Dylan,

Ireland aka Connor

bonne nuit, ma sirène = good night my mermaid


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Peter's ~POV

The hu-maid on the island definitely seemed nice. Peter had decided he would keep her around when he ruled the oceans and seas. Once he had taken care of this poacher problem, that is; he needed to make sure they didn't take her or Berwald. He just wasn't sure how he would protect them yet.

He couldn't even protect his sister from being taken…

~flashback~

When Alice had learned that Berwald's sister Mathilde had been taken she had left right away, but had refused to let him come along. All she had said was that it was dangerous and not a place for children; completely ignoring the fact that he would be bigger than her soon. Never mind that if it was one of their brothers they wouldn't have even blinked before letting him come along; Alistair would have probably let him lead the way. So he decided to follow after her. Berwald always liked when he came over, it would be a good surprise.

Slowly the water turned colder as they headed north. Peter had to carefully stay hidden from any ships, and from Alice when she turned to look behind her when he made a little too much noise. Finally, they reached Berwald's new cove. He had moved shortly after Mathilde was captured; this new home was a cheerful place with a tree that would hopefully produce fruit in the summer. The island didn't seem to have any humans on it. He waited watching from afar for about ten minutes as Alice and Berwald greeted each other before he tackled Berwald in excitement, giving up the undercover mission in exchange for being able to talk with his favorite non-relative.

The outcome was as expected.

Alice looked shocked for about three seconds before she freaked out, yelling about how dangerous it was for him to be away from the palace where there were people to protect him. Berwald calmly found him something to eat and mumbled something about doing what Alice says before turning to her and warning her about smothering him.

The visit went well, if maybe a little too quickly; Alice making sure she had all the details about those who took Mathilde and ensuring that Berwald would be ok. Honestly, Peter didn't understand. With Alice after them, the poachers wouldn't last a month before she had destroyed them and all of the Mer who had been taken were back in their homes. Alice was probably the most powerful mermaid in the world; anyone who said otherwise apparently hadn't seen her mad.

Like he was saying, though, it was all going well, until they were about to leave. Peter had darted back to give Berwald one last hug and to remind him to visit when a net swooped past, barely missing them but easily snagging his sister. A scream from Alice sent both mermen swimming after her; Peter could see a stream of blood coming from her caudal fin flooding the water in a sickening manner. Berwald reached the net first, grabbing on and attempting to cut her lose as it dragged them both along.

Another net dropped in, missing him again but something heavy that was attached to it hit the side of Peter's head and his shoulder. He couldn't keep in the surprised yelp of pain; as he felt himself floating, momentarily stunned as he tried to gather himself together he heard Alice yelling. Seemingly having come to a decision and shouting orders like she always did.

"Take Peter and hide. I'll be ok. Send news to our brothers, but keep Peter hidden with you." Alice's voice was commanding and even in a daze Peter could tell she was serious. Belwald must have said something in disagreement because she spoke up again and even without looking he could imagine the angry snarl on her face. "Berwald, if you don't get my brother out of here right now, when I am free I will tear you apart and feed you to the sharks." Apparently that was enough motivation for the merman because Peter was soon being carried away as he watched his only sister being dragged out of the water.

~end flashback~

Once the poachers were gone and he ruled, he was sure the cheerful hu-maid would get along with his sister. Once she was safe. He wouldn't even care if Alice bossed him around for the rest of their lives as long as she made it back okay.

AN: Um… Hi everyone… How are you… Sooooo long time no update. Sorry about that. I have been really not good and then my laptop is like six years old and not working correctly anymore… and I am just sounding really lame right now but I promise to keep updating and hopefully I will be regular again.

Thanks to everyone who favorite and follow this story so far,, along with those who reviewed. It really helps to see those emails when I'm feeling down.

Until next time, (hopefully soon) Lady Bec


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Mathilde's ~ POV

Mathilde had never followed rules very well, from the time she was just a young Mer she was constantly swimming off and getting into trouble only to have her older brother drag her back to their parents cove. As she got older and puberty hit the incredible awkwardness made it more difficult for Berwald to find her and bring her home. She knew the other Mer's pitied him, their parents having died recently and then his sister gallivanting off having newly gotten her legs and not having the decency to keep them hidden.

Legs were one of the "marvelous" changes that happened during puberty so that when you found your spouse the prospect of children was opened for you. That being said it was considered indecent for someone to really use their legs and walk around on the shore without being married. She knew all of that and she knew humans were dangerous but it was so amazing in the huge cities that the land dwellers made so she didn't truly care. Everything was so busy and exciting and fun, when she was sixteen summers during one of her first adventures she stumbled into a small bookstore. The owner and his wife were kind and happy to teach her how to read the scribbled text that humans used to write. With her new found ability she easily fell in love with fairy tales that humans often wrote. It seemed that no matter what kind of trouble these human female's got into there was always some kind of dashing knight who would save them.

Mathilde had always believed these valiant knights were only in the stories, but they truly existed, and they saved her! Looking through her lashes she gazed at the knights who had rescued her from the poachers she watched as the two talked at the table. They were at some kind of temporary living home called a "motel" and the human men had quickly started talking trying to sort out what to do next settling her on the soft sofa. She shifted uncomfortably trying to tuck her legs under herself thankful of the large garment covering her almost completely. Whenever she had gone into cities before she had always worn a skirt garment to cover them and the only one to see her legs bare before was Berwald who was her brother. Now there were two strange human men who had seen them, even she felt embarrassed about that.

"Are you hungry?" It was the man who come in to rescue her speaking. She paused looking him over, pale blond hair, his eyes were a darker blue than her own. She knew he was just barely taller than her when she was standing but standing over her looking concerned she could very well imagine him standing tall in the fabled shining armor of a knight ready to defend her.

"A little, is there food provided in these accommodations?" Was her hesitant reply. Were you supposed to tell knights that? The fairy tales' were never very clear on if it was acceptable to tell the knight who saved you that you were hungry enough to eat a shark. Really she would take on a shark on her own right now and eat it raw.

"We can order something in, Ivan do you want to order pizza? You can choose the toppings." The comment was directed at the other knight, the one who had given her his coat who nodded and walked off to the back room. Whatever "Pizza" is she could only hope it wasn't to strange. She was feeling completely awkward and unsure of how to break this silence, and it took a lot to make her feel awkward her brother was the most awkward being on the planet.

"So have you ever been to Aalborg? I have, it was very big which was strange but the old humans who I was with took me to Egholm which was very pretty we took a ferry." Mathilde said trying to start some kind of conversation laughing slightly.

"No, I can't say I have. Do you come into cites often?" He asked looking painfully blank it seemed to be his natural expression, the only time she had noticed emotions on his face was when the glass had broken and she had fallen after that he had taken on this indifferent look that almost made her feel like he didn't care. That wouldn't detour her though; he was her knight, he had saved her which meant they would fall in love. At least that is how the books always ended, but of course those were just books maybe a little more work would need to go into this than she thought. That was ok she just had to be flirty and brave, but focused and not distracted by any cool new things she found here and maybe probably she had to learn his name. That was probably important.

"Sometimes… I am called Mathilde; what is your name? How did you come to find me" It would probably be best if until she knew more about the knight she didn't blurt out all of her people's secrets. He didn't answer right away tilting his head slightly caught off guard by the change of topic.

"My name is Lukas, I am a Marine Biologist, so I had been investigating the company who took you already so when it got around that a Mermaid was being brought to the laboratory you were in. So Ivan and I made a plan to get you out." Was his calm reply answering her question but causing several new ones to come to mind. What in the depths of the ocean was a Marine bologna?

"So what is going to happen to me now?" She asked deciding it was a safer question.

"I have a friend who is stationed on an island studying a pair of Mer I figured I can take you to meet them and hopefully you can get home from there." He answered calmly giving her hope to at least get back to the ocean, from there she could find her way to her brother!

"Oh is your friend also a Morning bologna?" Mathinda asked rather proud that she remembered the title.

The sudden laughter from the tall man named Ivan who had just stepped back into the room made her feel like maybe she didn't get it quite right.

AN: So… if it makes you guys feel better I feel really bad about the delay in updating this. I just didn't expect this to be as long as it is turning out. I also am wrestling with myself about the ending so we might end up with an alternate ending just because I can't decided. I am going to really try to get the next chapter up within this month.

Thank you all for your reviews and just FYI I am going to start a one-shot collection so I am still posting things when I have writers block.

Also this isn't beta'd because I wanted to get this up ASAP, when I get it proofed I will replace this.


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